Day by day, technological advancements such as social media continue to make life easier. These benefits cut across almost every aspect of our lives. One of the things we enjoy from these advancements is the ease of communication. Phone calls, SMS, and online platforms bring humans together, no matter the distance involved.
Regardless of this, these advantages come with various devastating effects. Social media platforms can be detrimental to one’s mental health, despite the fact that they have become an integral part of our lives. Some of the effects of social media on mental health are discussed below.
Social Media and Depression
Depression arises due to various reasons such as biological, environmental, and/or psychological factors. Social media might however have the power to cause you to constantly compare your life to those of people you see online; hence, leading to depression. Although many people actually only show the “sweet” parts of their lives, a social media addict is likely to see these things as the whole picture.
Social Media And Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying, otherwise known as Cyber harassment, is the use of electronic means to bully or harass people. It’s not a strange occurrence on online platforms. Being harassed online can negatively affect your mental health, just like physical bullying. Once you notice that you tend to be bullied by people’s words online, just know it’s time to take a break in order to save your mental health.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
The pressure exerted by people online can make you start feeling left out of the group. An instance is when you see the wedding pictures of a newly wedded couple and they remind you of your relationship struggles. You begin to blame yourself for not being able to perfect yours too. You feel left out of the “married people” league. At this point, an online break is necessary. This life is not a race. You have to keep working and hoping for the best. Your clock is different!
Social Media Vs Low Self-Esteem
Another effect of social media is its tendency to lower your self-esteem. Every day, discussions about people’s physiques and achievements are held on these platforms. Constantly seeing posts like this can make you feel inadequate. The verbal abuses that people online give to other people’s physical sizes, height, and skin colour can have devastating effects on your mental health.
To bring this write-up to an end, it’s important to state that while social media is a good invention, the way we choose to use it may or may not be good. We should therefore normalise taking breaks from the online space. You need to carefully regulate the kind of information you consume online. Prioritise your mental health, the same way you value your physical well-being.
– Ridwanullah